Operation Freedom's Flame - Part II
Elevated Platform - Service District - Sivad The peaked brown metal roof above has been twisted and gnarled by an energy blast. The platform stands about thirty feet above the wreckage of Dlanod street, the main thoroughfare through what once served as the city's service district. You are on the platform, about 30 feet above the ground. Spreading west before you is a mangled maglev track. The track is about 10 feet from the platform. Approaching from the west, the direction of the residential district, are about two dozen militiamen and three tanks. Warrick grits his teeth, then yells, "Alright, men!" He waves towards the ticket stand. "Squad two, lay down cover fire...Squad one, tear this apart, board for board! We'll use the pieces to cross the gap." The squad gets to work dismantling the platform for a bridge. The militiamen notice the activity, and one of the tanks aims for the platform. Beside Sondrix, Lieutenant D'Arras pops her head out to fire a roaring volley towards the incoming militia, covering the lanky first lieutenant as she begins tugging pieces off of the ticket stand. "Use your damn grenades, Specialist!" she roars. "Tank incoming!" You become aware of a steady drone channeling up your shins through the thick soles of your boots. As the tank approaches, it is not the thrumming of the engine that sets your teeth on edge, but the steady squeal of the treads, long denied oil to ease their march. Vasquez and Irahoi, meanwhile, are aiming their projectors at the incoming tanks. Balls of coherent light form at the ends, rocketing off towards the machines of war. Warrick, meanwhile, lends his own muscle to the effort to dismantle the stand. Daerius turns on his heel, staying low to the ground as he calmly chooses a grenade, gets it ready to throw, waits a few calculated seconds and sends it hurtling. The Marine projectiles strike home - seconds after the tank fires its salvo at the platform. Luckily, the militia tank jockeys aren't that good at aiming their cannon, as their blast strikes the maglev track instead. The blast shatters the track, leaving a massive gap and sending debris whistling through the platform. From atop the rusted tank, a heavy-jowlled soldier lobs a hand grenade. As his chubby hand releases the missile, an exhausted grunt escapes the man. Once airborne, the small projectile comes to rest just feet away from Sondrix. The grenade-lobber doesn't live to see the grenade land as his tank is enveloped in a ball of fire and turned to so much slag. The narrow under-track right-of-way is about 20 feet wide, and the destruction of the tank has left the other two tanks trapped behind the wreckage. Militiamen take up defensive positions behind maglev track pylons, wreckage and the other tanks. Warrick , several yards away and helpless to do anything else, yells at the top of his lungs. "Sondrix! Grenade!" Sondrix's head whips around at that and moves. *Fast*. As the tank comes to its fiery end she makes a dive for the grenade, shouting, "Cover me!" even as she races a few paces forward and throws the thing with all her might towards the incoming enemy. Daerius, having been so prompted to this general course, decides he might as well stay with it. Besides, two grenades flying through the air are better than one. His eyes flicker to Sondrix, as he pulls another grenade and throws it to the militiamen behind cover. As the grenade begins the downward half of its arc, it bursts with a deafening roar into so much deadly shrapnel. The militiamen howl in agony as the grenade Daerius threw made it behind the cover of a second tank, damaging the tread and killing and crippling the militiamen. A fresh burst of flames spews forth from beyond a nearby retaining wall. Like a noble soldier, the fire burns hot, but dies fast. Black soot thickly crusts the once-lovely stones. An energy blast sizzles past Warrick from the southeast. Bursts of coherent energy erupt from Warrick's rifle, raking into the militia fortifications. Vasquez and Irahoi, their weapons finally having hit their peek charge state again, each lower their LAW at a tank and fire. Shrapnel strikes Corporal Falan in the left haunch, sending him screaming and spitting to the floor. Private Horace and Sergeant Smalls are killed outright, Horace eviscerated by the deadly metal shards, Smalls falling, carotid severed. As fire breaks out from the southeast, Warrick pivots instantly, dropping to one knee behind what remains of the ticket stand, fire redirected quickly at whatever attacker he spies. Grenade disposed of, Sondrix has dived back to her task of dismantling the ticket stand. As flying bits of debris chunk off stones and hurtle around indiscriminately she grabs D'Arras and forces her down as a particularly large bit of shrapnel zings across with deadly intent. Another energy blast comes from southeast, getting ever closer to Warrick. Warrick yells, "Sondrix! Sniper!" He fires off another burst of shots in the sniper's direction, hoping to distract him. Daerius crouches and darts out from behind what cover he had found, eyes focused. He runs to Corporal Falan, grabbing quickly to try and get him out of the line of fire and into cover. Sondrix whips up her rifle, one hand flipping a lever on the side of the stock, sights and fires. The ball of flame that emits from the carbine is larger, pulses with more energy than her previous shots. "Down sir!" she yells as behind her, Specialist O'Connor takes over her task of dismantling the ticket stand. Sondrix's shot goes wide left, but the sniper on the Bright Horizons building seems to think better of keeping up his enfilade fire, and crawls off out of danger. A fresh supply of arterial blood blooms from Falan's mouth as Daerius drags his broken body along the ground to the safety of a rubble pile. His hand squeezes weakly at the specialist's dark sleeves in the moments before he dies. The maglev trackway, although cluttered with debris and dead and wounded militiamen, appears free of hazards. The remaining tank and surviving militamen seem to be falling back toward the residential district. Daerius's response is short and to the point. He stands up, eyes searching for a target, and barring that, ears listening for instructions. Warrick stands, "Sondrix, keep an eye out for that sniper...Men, grab boards...Let's see about that gap." So saying, he grabs a long board of his own, moving towards the track. Sondrix nods curtly as she remains on one knee, rifle poised at the ready. From two feet away, D'Arras covers her, her coffee-dark skin flecked with soot and blood, eyes ferocious. Daerius grabs the nearest board of a decent length, and hauls it toward the track. Quickly, the Marines construct a makeshift bridge to the shattered maglev track. Warrick says, "Alright...Two at a time...Let's go!" Private Timson is first out onto the tracks with the willow-slender Corporal Hwang. Cautiously they inch their way across, rifles held tight and eyes kept ahead on their destination. In your peripheral vision, you see what looks like an explosive device attached to one of the maglev train's pylons. A thick wire snakes its way to the track itself. "STAY BACK!" Sondrix suddenly gathers herself and leaps up from where she's crouching, waving her arms frantically. "Get off there! Now! No one move onto that thing!" Daerius watches the two inch their ways across, ready to move with Corporal Anderson, once the track is clear. Seen too late, the explosive detonates, tearing the column to flying chunks and collapsing the maglev track below the Marines who made it across. Warrick curses mightily under his breath, moving to peer through the smoke at the wreckage of the maglev, seeking the fate of Timson and Hwang. Timson and Hwang - the mangled and broken remains - can be seen below among the rubble. Sondrix's eyes are raging as she releases a volley of Navajo curses. Without hesitation she scans the rest of the platform, face grim, scrutinizing every inch that might possibly hide another detonation device. Warrick bows his head slightly for a moment, then raises it, expression grim. The rest of the platform appears to be free of explosives. Daerius backs off from the now destroyed tracks, and says something, tone calm, in Navajo. He shifts the gun as he scans. Daerius(Daer) pages: We're exposed out here, Quicksilver..... Sondrix composes herself. By the time she turns around she's about as calm as she was prior to the accident. "I can't sense anything else that might be a trap. Specialist Daerius might want to make absolutely sure." She brings her rifle to her shoulder and continues scanning the platform's surroundings with a grim face. Warrick's face relaxes slightly, and he barks out, "Alright Marines...Let's get off this deathtrap." He points towards the trench surrounding the maglev track. "We'll take the trench, from ground level." Daerius moves as ordered, motions crisp and quick. Starr silently follows her remaining comrades, her eyes tracking for ambush. Sondrix takes the rear, keeping an eye out for possible snipers and such other pestilential menaces. The Marines make their way down into the trenchway. The residential district, you can see, has been pounded by militia artillery in order to keep the locals in line. The bayside homes smoulder and blaze. A once popular restaurant stands in ruins. The city park is rutted with blast craters. Warrick says, "Look sharp, Marines. Let's keep it tight." Daerius halves his attention between searching for snipers, and making sure that where they place their feet won't explode on them...looking for the tell-tale signs of booby traps. From beyond broken walls and fallen buildings, the sounds of chanting rise to meet the low-hanging smoke that chokes the city. Although the words are unintelligible, they are clearly born of insurrection, as if your very presence were the catalyst in vial of deadly explosives. Starr flares her nostrils at the smell of smoke, and carefully moves on. Sondrix's jaw tenses just a fraction, her eyes mercurial and reflecting the fire and flames of the past moments. "I'll take point sir," she calls out crisply. "It isn't going to do any good to run into another one of those bally explosives." Her hand flips the switch on her rifle once more. Though your hearing has been dulled by the close proximity of screaming weapons, your intuition is sharper for the loss. It is as if you can sense where danger lies and how you should move to avoid it. As the congested feeling in your ears gives way to a constant ringing, you are at once angry at the noise and grateful that you can no longer hear the screaming infant. Warrick seems oddly calm, even now, face grim but lacking tension as the Marines press towards the Military district. Weapons scream angrily through the air, as if peevish at the lack of things left to destroy. You become keenly aware of those watching you from behind shattered windows and broken door fronts. How foreign you must look to these mothers as they clutch their screaming children. What must these broken men see when they stare at you with their vacant eyes? Daerius raises an eyebrow, shaking his head a bit, finding his thoughts going in directions most unlike their usual paths. Still impassive, he stalks his way forward. Warrick stops in mid-stride, gaze fixing on the shorn man for a moment. Cobalt eyes rest heavily on the agonized face for a moment. Then, he says, with conviction. "I'm sorry." He then resumes his deliberate march. Somewhere towards the middle, a young hollow-eyed Marine - Private Ravendren by name - loses his balance and is caught quickly by the watchful Corporal Myung-Yun. Sondrix's jaw is set tight, brows furrowed even as her eyes scan her surroundings, taking in the utter and absolute destruction. As she passes by a window with a gaunt-faced mother, infant in arms, she hisses softly and keeps her eyes fixed ahead. Not a word does she speak until they trudge within sight of their destination. Then she unslings the largest and sleekest of her rifles and tugs at a lever. A grim march later, the Marines encounter: Eisseb Avenue - Military District - Sivad Smoke and debris choke the street before you, outside the bastion of the Vanguard military complex - now marked by a large handpainted black sign that reads SIVADIAN PEOPLE'S PROTECTORATE. The tank is parked just outside Checkpoint Freedom, with a handful of militiamen standing ready, guns raised. Starr has been silent all this time, trodding through the streets with nary a whit of emotion as she passes by all the carnage and destruction. Warrick barks, "Fan out! Take cover! Vasquez! Irahoi! See about that tank! Fire at will, men!" His own gun snaps down, his eyes for a moment flashing furiously. Suddenly he's running, to the right, towards cover nearer the enemy formation, gun blazing with wild energy as his shots rake towards the enemy ranks. The militiamen open fire on the Marines, hiding behind the cover provided by the tank, which is swiveling its turret toward the Marines. Starr lets a barrage of rifle fire loose at the militiamen as she heads for cover behind a car. Daerius grabs for a grenade, sights briefly and aims to bounce it off the tank and toward the milita as he breaks and darts for cover. Sondrix's weapon sends out a truly violent wall of white fire as the modified carbine responds to her touch on its trigger. Down, rolling into a shallow depression behind a burned out hulk of what might have been a hovercab of sorts. Then she's back on her feet and racing for the checkpoint. Starr's flurry of bullets manages to peg one unwary militiaman in the calf, effectively severing the leg from the knee down. Vasquez and Irahoi, in direct response to the orders, drop into the nearest cover, leveling their tubes at the tank. Irahoi is struck in the forehead by an energy blast, the top of his skull sheered off instantly. Vasquez's tube flares and a ball of light rolls towards the tank. The grenade does bounce on target, sending militia bits hurling into the street. The tank takes its hits from Vasquez and Irahaoi, and erupts into a column of flame and shrapnel, with men trapped inside howling like condemned creatures dying in a barn fire. As Sondrix rises with a fresh coating of wet mud on her belly, her shots pick off two of the soldiers who where perched atop the tank. Through the smoke and flame and wreckage, it appears the path to Checkpoint Freedom is clear. Warrick says, "Forward men! Eyes sharp."" Warrick moves from cover, towards Checkpoint Freedom. Behind Sondrix, Lieutenant D'Arras screams in agony and goes down, a shot straight between her eyes killing her instantly. Sondrix pauses only to turn, clench her jaw. Then she's ducking for cover and making for the checkpoint with swift, raking strides, eyes flaming. Starr quickly rises, then rushes for the checkpoint, gazing around. Daerius glances at fallen Irahoi's weapon, and weighs its future usefulness. And his own ability to carry and use the weapon...Leaving it behind might be an error. Warrick moves at a controlled lope towards the checkpoint, long strides eating the ground swiftly. Checkpoint Freedom - Military District - Sivad The entrance of the military complex is overseen by a pair of turreted towers, with Sivadian armored guards in each one. More militia officers, armed with slugthrowers and pulse rifles, stand watch by the locked gate. The soldiers at the gate begin laying down enfilade fire at the incoming Marines. Warrick's rifle explodes in return fire, the Marines around him opening up in kind...A plasma bolt strikes him in the shoulder, the glancing shot deflected by the armor there. Sondrix's rifle blazes, hitting the ground and kicking up a swirl of dust as she narrowly dodges a traveling bolt that would have singed her ear had she not been wearing a helmet. "WARRICK!" she roars as she rolls up and catches the tail end of the shot that glanced off. Up on one knee, raking the lever on her carbine and returning fire with a fury seldom seen in her languid demeanor. The line of militia officers, lacking any real cover, fire off a hastily aimed round of shots at the oncoming siege. Daerius dodges to the right, seeking cover. His eyes scan the new gun quickly, mentally double checking on the ways of its use. Then he turns and targets one of the turreted towers. "Vasquez!" He calls. Plumes of dust rise from the ground, born of the errant energy beams from the pulse rifles. Backs already toward the oncoming soldiers, the militia officers run for cover, leaving the locked gate unguarded. Warrick , evidently unharmed, dodges right, seeming to actually sidestep a plasma blast as it passes. His fire rakes down the militiaman line, barrel beginning to glow slightly despite the extra cooling elements. Vasquez nods to Daerius, targeting the other tower. Expertly, she snaps off a shot. Daerius's lips quirk in an almost smile as he targets and fires. The turreted tower bursts into flame as the blast from Daerius' rifle hits it dead-on. Sondrix plunges on towards the gate, a wild, drawn out "Booooo-yaaaaah!" sounding from her throat as Daerius scores a hit. Warrick yells, heeding his own order even as he gives it, "CHARGE! SEIZE THE GATE!" An eerie quiet falls over the area as flame from the explosion subsides. The gate has an electronic locking device. Daerius mutters, "Slave to tradition." He stands up, shoulders the one gun with a grunt and runs forward. Warrick looks around, spying Daerius. "Specialist! Now might be the time to pop your caps." Sondrix draws her pistol. "And if that fails, we use the ahh, old fashioned ways." Her tone is dry. Behind them, the Marines fan out, weapons at the ready. Daerius nods briefly. "Hold this." He curtly instructs a jittery looking Private, handing him the larger gun. He moves to the gate, hands taking different components from different pockets and assembling them even before he gets there. A few quick movements, a small wire placed. The device is placed in the lock. "Back off." He says and quickly follows his own advice. There is a metallic clank from the lock which is rendered useless by the blast. Warrick grins ferally, "Alright kids, let's see what's behind door number one. Squad two-- push her open, stay low...Squad one, cover-- the enemy will be waiting. Sondrix has taken cover efficiently. As the blast goes off she quirks a grin, mud-stained face looking fiendish. "Nice work..." she murmurs as she shoves at the gate hard. Daerius turns, retrieves his weapon smoothly, and takes up position to cover the first squad. With an unwilling creak, the gate gives up its secrets. Starr stoically strides through the gate, firing on any onrushing militiamen. Starr quickly takes cover, scanning silently for the enemy. Warrick says, "Alright Marines...Move in." Daerius smoothly moves through the door. Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad The base opens out into a wide paved area, with the flag of the iron-fisted flag of Laurence Montevedo's Sivadian People's Protectorate flag fluttering in the breeze near the end. Along one side of the parade ground can be seen a set of bleachers to allow onlookers to have seating while watching the activities. The base's assorted buildings surround it. Armed guards patrol regularly around the parade ground. Sivad's natural beauty contrasts with this area, as its trees and shrubs are abundant around the base. Contents: Lt_Colonel Warrick Specialist Daerius Group of 12 Militiamen Bodyguard Bunko Bunko and his 13 militamen open fire on the incoming Marines. Daerius dives for cover, aiming and shooting for Bunko as he moves. Instead, the blast strikes a militiaman in the gut, and he goes down, wailing. From the large tower on top of the command and control, a shadow of a man can be seen watching the fiasco below. Sondrix calmly pulls a small egg-shaped object from her belt, yanking out the pin with her teeth. "DOWN MARINES!" She shouts as she tosses it towards the militia and rolls for cover fast. The guards are planted in front of the door sending large bursts of fire into the marines. They aren't moving. They all wear full body armor and carry plasma rifles Bunko says, "FIRE!" Another blast erupts from the guards into the marines. The grenade goes off, killing eight militia officers instantly - in spite of their body armor - and wounding the others. Bunko is struck in the chest by the head of one of the soldiers. The head bounces off his armor and thuds to the ground. Bunko says, "Hold your ground men!" The guns of 36 marines open fire on the entrenched militiamen, mercilessly raking them with plasma bolts. Warrick, in the main group, snaps off shots like a man possessed, eyes flaming, gun roaring and spitting. Bunko says, "Stand off! Follow me." Starr clenches her jaw as she takes advantage of the blast and fires on any standing militiamen, advancing. The stubborn militiamen, those few who remain, go down writhing under the fire. Bunko and the remaining 3 guards pop into the Command door. Daerius unslings the big gun and slowly aims for the tower and the shadowy figure therein. Sondrix is up onto her feet and racing after Bunko almost as soon as the fire clears. She has drawn her pistol now, her eyes blazing. Bunko's form appears, and he and the other man seem to be arguing in the tower. Warrick snaps the extended energy pack from his carbine, letting it fall to the ground. His hand snakes to his belt, retrieving another heavy clip there and slamming it home into the carbine. "Forward men. Watch for traps." "Hold it right there, Vanguard scum! I'd like to direct your attention to the heavy explosives placed under your feet! One punch of this button, and you'll be blown to kingdom come! MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" You recognize that form: Montevedo. Montevedo is standing right in front of the glass. Daerius slowly starts to squeeze the trigger, and then his finger snaps to relax instantly. His eyes dart to Warrick, a sharp question in them. Sondrix's eyes flick upwards at once as the voice booms down to her ears. Her eyes narrow very slowly, one hand coming to her waist and clutching it tight as if she's hurt. Warrick's eyes narrow, coming to rest on the shadowy figure. He calls out, "Montevedo, I am Lt. Colonel Davian Warrick. I am here to accept your surrender." "At this moment, I have 5 cities laced with explosives...it will be YOUR surrender *I* will accept...or those cities will be blown off the surface of the planet! MUWAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Put down your weapons, or DIE!!" Starr stands still, looking to Warrick. Warrick's eyes shift slightly towards Sondrix, then back to Montevedo. "This is your last chance, Montevedo. Surrender now. Do not make your loyal compatriots suffer your own fate. Daerius remains still, a stillness that tends to make one blend so very easily into the background. His weapon remains on the tower, his finger remains on the trigger, and his ears remain focused to Warrick. Sondrix's fist tightens as she slowly slides her hand down off her waist. Very slightly her eyes slant towards Warrick, her other hand clenched on her carbine with stony defiance of the tyrannical dictator standing above them. "You military-minded fool! Do you not realize you have /LOST!?!?!/ Very well....in 10 MINUTES..I will detonate the first city...10 minutes after that...another...until you surrender!!" Montevedo is standing in plain sight in the tower, talking into a microphone. Starr stands still as a statue, but her grey eyes roil with a growing storm. "8 Minutes remain fools!" Warrick's gaze shifts back to Sondrix, and he gives her an almost imperceptible nod. Daerius's eyes narrow, a skepticism flickering through the light blue as he watches the man who seems to be Montevedo. Sondrix bows her head at Montevedo's last word, shoulders slumping as if in defeat and utter abandon. Then all at once the rifle swings up to her shoulder - snub-nosed, sleek and predatory, the movement as fluid as if she were sewing a seam. In one motion she fires towards Montevedo, the huge plasma bolt gaining a life of its own as it travels. The blast strikes true, pounding into Montevedo's chest. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Warrick yells, immediately, "MOVE!" He breaks for the compound door. Gasping sounds can be heard, Montevedo is still holding the microphone..."You..think you have defeated me!?....I..have...only...begun.....Mark my words....Some how...some way....some day...I.....will....return..." Suddenly, Montevedo stumbles into the glass....it shatters as he falls through it....falling nearly 50 feet to his death on the pavement. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH...WHAM!!!" *Splat!* Sondrix is in stride towards the door behind Warrick almost as soon as he yells his order. The Marines, a tumbled pack, fan out behind her, running fast. Starr's gaze narrows with the brightness of the blast, but it soon travels back to the tower. Daerius growls under his breath, standing up, but eyes fixed on the tower. He whirls and runs after the others. Warrick stops at the door, "Squad two, secure the area. And collect this...Mess." He gestures briefly at Montevedo before disappearing through the door. A low growl is finally heard coming from Starr's throat as she streaks for the door. Warrick and the elements of Squad One disappear into the Command and Control center Command and Control - Military District - Sivad This building has many guards posted in it. Through a thick glass wall, the control center for the base can be seen. Chart tables, large computer consoles and viewscreens, and radar monitors can be seen manned by several technicians and officers. The other room contains Sivad's flag and the Consortium flag. Along the wall are various doors leading to offices of the base's command staff. Contents: Lt_Colonel Warrick Bodyguard Bunko Warrick and about 17 Marines pour through the door, weapons ready. Bunko says, "DIE! All o' yas! DIE!" Sondrix streams in behind Warrick, pistol drawn, carbines slung over her shoulder. One of them is still glowing from a previous shot. Her eyes are baleful and mercurial as she takes aim towards the annoying Bunko. Pestilential menace that he is. Starr fires on Bunko, growling. Bunko goes down in a blaze of agony. Warrick looks around, locating the flag of the rebellion. His nostrils flare and he moves to it, hand snaking up to tear it off the wall. "Marcos," he says in a low growl, "Inform the Versailles that we have completed our mission. Montevedo is dead. The rest of you, fan out...Eliminate whatever resistance remains. Sondrix's eyes scan the command center, her demeanor tense. She tilts her head, as if trying to sense any more last minute traps the wily Montevedo might have set in motion. Marcos growls a jubilant, "Yes SIR!" as he adjusts his headset and moves off to a corner where he proceeds to relay the news to the Versailles as ordered. Daerius moves towards one of the office doors, briefly inspecting it before taking the actions to open it. Even as the rest of the Marines fan out to dispatch Warrick's orders, Sondrix prowls to the command console and the maps. She has her pistol at the ready still, body tense for any other surprises. The door swings wide to reveal an empty office. All around is the evidence of the militia's demise. Starr is far from jubilant as she moves out, her nostrils flared, her head cocked to listen for noises. Warrick grips the flag of the rebellion, staring at it for a long moment. Then his muscles tense as he rends the flag in half. He allows it to drop from his grip. Daerius makes a quick but careful sweep of the room, alertness unfaltering, before he moves out again, methodically checking the rooms. Starr prowls the rooms, searching for resistance with hungry eyes. Warrick says, looking to Daerius. "Assess the threat of explosives. This won't be over until every bomb has been removed from every site in this city and wherever else that madman happened to trap. The only militiamen you see are dead Sondrix runs a finger absently across the graze cut into her cheek from earlier flying debris and scans the maps intently. "Come look at these sir, I think they might help..." she says. Warrick moves to the maps, looking at them with cool eyes. Daerius says calmly, "Maybe even not then. Sir...?" He waits until he has Warrick's attention. Avocet arrives from Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Avocet has arrived. Giovanni arrives from Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Giovanni has arrived. Jayden arrives from Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Jayden has arrived. Avocet walks into the command and control station, his face drained of color, set and grim. Jayden walks through completely speechless at the utter carnage Giovanni enters the Command and Control closely behind Avocet. His face is solemn, and his eyes dark. Jayden's features are set in a dark shade, his eyes black from the shadow. Daerius turns quickly at the noise of others entering, recognition taking a half second before he relaxes and returns his gun to a neutral point. Avocet forces a tight smile as he approaches the marines. He nods to Warrick. "Your squad is to be commended, Colonel." He looks back toward the door. "Has anyone else been to the airfield?" Warrick bends, retrieving the torn halves of the rebel flag. His face grim, he comes to attention, saluting the general crisply. "Sir, my troops are securing the area as we speak." Avocet nods. "We need body bags. Thousands of them." Sondrix whirls around, her pistol at the ready and finger poised on the trigger as the officers come in. She relaxes and comes to salute crisply, her cheek bloody from a gouge. Starr turns and comes to attention as the officers enter the center, saluting sharply. Jayden remembers his manners and salutes to the people present. Avocet glances back to Giovanni. "I suppose you and Colonel FettaS can assist the medical teams removing those bodies, yes?" Giovanni places his hands behind his back and walks around slowly, surveying the Marines that infiltrated the center. He nods to himself. He looks to Avocet and nods grimly. He says, "We shall, General." Warrick's eyes flicker for a moment. "Yes sir. We do." He proffers the shorn flag to Avocet with formality. "It is over, Sir." Daerius says very quietly. "The cloning facility was on this planet, was it not?" Avocet accepts the sundered flag, studying the fabric and nodding curtly. He manages a tight smile. "Not without severe cost, but you did the Consortium proud today." Sondrix's eyes go to Daerius and her jaw tightens. "Yes...yes it was. Or is." Her entire thin frame tenses up again, the hand that holds her pistol stiffening. "General sir. The Specialist has raised a valid point." Warrick glances towards Daerius, "Yes. And I accept the possibility that Montevedo may have clones...But his hold has been shattered. The people of Sivad will not forget. This will not happen again." Rathmon arrives from Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Rathmon has arrived. Avocet narrows his eyes. "Cloned himself, you think? God, who needs more than one of him?" Jayden simply listens and watches the conversation, still in some shock over the carnage. Vech arrives from Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Vech has arrived. Daerius meets Warrick's eyes. "With all due respect, Sir, Montevedo planned. This battle is over. But I would suggest that the Versailles watches for ships attempting to leave..and that the facility is checked out immediately." Vech walks in, and reholsters his pistol as he does so. Avocet nods. "Well, if I were a crazy madman clone, I don't think I'd try launching right now - but we will be on guard." Rathmon turns to Avocet, wincing as he jostles his left arm in its sling, "The air and space is clear sir." Avocet lifts his chin, nodding to Rathmon. "Glad to hear that." Giovanni looks around slowly at the center, in silence. He places his hands behind his back, thinking of the impending duty before him. Jayden crosses his arms across his chest. Rathmon scratches the cast on his arm, "Though I'd prefer to have one of my pilots in the air sir." Vech glances at Rathmon. "I'll do it sir." Avocet lets his eyes drift around the command and control center. "Mr. Rathmon, at this point, you may act at your discretion. The planet is secured." Rathmon nods, "Constructive paranoia sir." Starr nervously flits her eyes to and fro as the crowds grows in the room. Avocet smiles tightly. "Indeed." Rathmon nods to Vech, "Do it, keep your eyes peeled. If it don't quack like a duck use your better judgment." Sondrix's eyes are somber as she slips from where she is standing by the maps to a large shattered glass pane. Vech nods. "Yes, sir!" He then runs from the room, pulling his gloves back on. Vech heads into Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Vech has left. Warrick says, "Sir, request permission to change the elements of the 3rd holding the area...These squads have seen more than enough for a lifetime." Avocet nods. "Of course, Colonel. Mr. Giovanni, take them over to the Independence Dome drop zone and let them retrieve their ship. Then come back here." Giovanni nods to Avocet and heads out of the room. Giovanni heads into Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Giovanni has left. Sondrix interjects as she turns from the shattered glass. "There are wounded amongst my regiment sir. Unless the Lt. Colonel has other orders for me, I should tend to them. It is my duty after all." Jayden looks around silently at all the broken glass and things lying on the floor and wonders what it was like. Avocet nods to Sondrix. "Of course." Daerius begins inspecting the area again, searching.. Rathmon winces as he moves around the room poking about. Warrick salutes Avocet sharply, face drawn. He then looks around, to each Marine present in turn...They all look smaller, somehow, the combat having leeched out of them-- 14 of the remaining 37, all tired, pale, drawn with exhaustion. "Let's go home, kids." Avocet watches the Marines with grim pride, then looks to Jayden. "Well, son, still want to be a soldier?" Jayden says, "As odd as it may seem sir....yes" Rathmon turns to the General, "Sir how long will you need my services, I have a few death notices to write." Rathmon sighs with distaste. Avocet smiles tightly at Jayden, then trades a grim look with Rathmon. "Major, you may report back to the Versailles. I have my own share to sign." Sondrix throws her head back, glancing towards Daerius quietly. "FetchStorm. Starr. Let's go." She hasn't holstered her pistol, and from the looks of things, she isn't going to either. She comes to flank Warrick. Warrick moves from the Command Center, his troops trailing after him. Rathmon nods, "Aye, sir. I hate this part." Avocet clasps his hands behind his back. "All commanders hate it." His eyes follow Warrick. "All." Daerius gives the room a last look around, expression as impassive as ever. He leaves. Jayden smiles tightly, "Permission to board the dropship, sir, I think I've seen enough" Avocet says, "Dismissed, Recruit." Rathmon walks with a limp as he heads to the airfield. Rathmon heads into Checkpoint Freedom - Military District - Sivad. Rathmon has left. Warrick moves through the shattered base, not pausing to take in the details. Bodies, shattered buildings-- all apparently ignored by the Colonel, his carbine held loosely in his left hand by the fore-grip. Sondrix's gait is slower than usual, the faintest of limps to her stride. Her mercurial eyes take one last look around before she increases her pace, swallowing. A contrast to Warrick, Daer seems to be noting everything. His gaze intent, his form betraying more tension than when they were in the thick of battle. His hand tightens on his weapon and slowly loosens. Warrick strides towards the airfield, bearing straight. Now that the battle is over, Starr takes the time to look at her surroundings. She lets out a small gasp at the reality of the destruction hits her, but she presses on. Airfield - Military District - Sivad This airfield, once serving the purpose of an actual landing pad, has become a killing field. The remains of 10,000 people lie here, never bothered to be cleaned up. Dried blood..and not so dried blood...is everywhere. One area is scorched, where the class of children was killed. The stench...in indescribable Contents: Lt._Colonel Giovanni Lt_Colonel Warrick President Dahan Boarding Tube - DS A - Versailles Holo-Camera Dahan emerges from the drop ship, it's progress slowed by the bodies and it's wheeled undercarriage. Giovanni steps out of the Dropship, his eyes downcast as he steps out of the ship. He nods to Warrick, "Let's go, Colonel." and quickly boards the Dropship again. Giovanni boards the DS A - Versailles. Giovanni has left. Warrick strides in from the direction of the Parade Ground, trailed by a line of marines-- 37 in all(counting himself). His face is a stony mask. He nods slightly in acknowledgment of Giovanni's statement, standing to the side. "Load up, men." As they file past, he salutes, holding the gesture during the entire boarding process. Dahan droops, and lowers itself to look at all the carnage. It radiates a sense of profound sadness. Daerius studies Dahan for a long moment, then files in line with the other Marines and boards. Avocet arrives from Parade Ground - Military District - Sivad. Avocet has arrived. Sondrix slings her backpack off her shoulders and boards, one of the last few. Back straight, limping slightly, she salutes Warrick as she passes, her eyes suddenly flat and weary. Avocet strides onto the airfield, pulling out a cloth to mask his face against the stench of the dead. After a long moment of radiating the sadness of all the bodies, Dahan pulls itself up, and moves over by Avocet. Warrick is standing near the boarding ramp of the dropship, holding a salute as his Marines file past. Starr’s exhausted stride becomes straighter in the face of the carnage. She momentarily turns, salutes the field of the fallen, then follows her comrades up the ramp. Cargo Area A narrow aisle stretches the length of the cargo section, leading from a hatch up front to the large loading ramp at back. The area is illuminated by either white or red lights, depending on the situation. Simple benches along the walls are bolted down to the deck, but look to be removable. A small control panel sits in the wall beside the loading ramp. Contents: Specialist Daerius Lt._Colonel Giovanni Giovanni stands in the archway where the cockpit and cargo area adjoin. He watches as people carefully ascend into the ship. Sondrix is pulling medical supplies - bare minimum at best - from her backpack as she sweeps a trained, if weary eye over the Marines, assessing damage. Warrick enters through the hatch of the ship. Warrick has arrived. Giovanni looks to the Marines and nods as he sees the last of the squad board. He addresses them, "I want to commend you on your work today." he nods to each of them before returning to the cockpit. Dahan enters through the hatch of the ship. Dahan has arrived. Avocet enters through the hatch of the ship. Avocet has arrived. Loudspeaker: Prepare for lift off. Warrick looks to Giovanni. He says, firmly, "With all due respect, Colonel-- just fly the plane." Dahan moves over by a quiet section of the ship, and takes a long moment to compose itself. The ship sways and shudders as it slowly lifts from the ground surface. Starr finally sinks to the ground, exhausted. Avocet takes a seat on a bench, glancing out a viewport at the planet below. Dahan asks with serious tones, 'How are the people of Sivad taking the results of this invasion?'' Tired, ragged, many bloodstained and almost all mudstained, the Marines settle themselves. A burly specialist, one arm shot to rags, is groaning in pain, the slender Corporal Yamana next to him, trying to ease his pain despite the blood running down her head. Sondrix moves between the wounded, kneeling, doing what she can with the limited medical supplies she has. Warrick flips a switch on his carbine. The low buzz of the cooling elements cuts out. He slings it over his shoulder, turning to stare out the viewport at Sivad. Avocet glances to Dahan. "Sir, I'm not sure they even know yet." Avocet shakes his head. "Looks like the militia was wiped out. No word on civvy casualties." Warrick moves towards the airlock, "With me, Marines. Let's get home." Dahan's head droops slightly, the numbers being emotionally accepted. Avocet flicks his eyes toward Warrick. "See you aboard, Colonel." Warrick pauses, looking to Avocet. "Yes sir. Of course." Then he's moving again, ducking out the hatch. Sondrix puts the finishing touches on a sling for a pretty, ravage-faced Private with a shattered arm and rises slowly, her movements weary and drawn out. "In the medical bay, Marines..." she says quietly before following Warrick out. Giovanni watches the Marines depart. Starr tiredly rises and trods out. The Marines head out into the Bunker Hill: Bridge Dim recessed lights illuminate this domed chamber at the extreme forward end of the hull. Automated doors in the aft bulkhead lead out to the rest of the ship. Work stations for sensors, communications, weapons and navigation are arrayed in a tight circle around a raised command chair. A broad curved viewscreen fills much of the forward bulkhead. Contents: Lt_Colonel Warrick Sondrix moves into the bridge, her eyes flat. Coming to a salute that's precise, if a bit too rigidly held, she says quietly, "Sir. I am attending the wounded sir...if you could take us back to the Versailles for now. Thank you sir." Warrick says, "That was my intention, Lieutenant. And when you're done, get some rest...You need it." Even as he's speaking, Warrick guides the Bunker Hill into the bay. Sondrix's lips curve very faintly. "All Marines are hereby asked to report to medical bay sir. Each one of you. Thank you sir." She salutes again and turns to go, her hands bloodstained. Warrick straightens, hand trailing to his shoulder absently. He pats it, fingers coming away lightly touched by blood. "Very well, Lieutenant. Carry on." His hand falls, and he moves from the bridge. Once in the airlock: Warrick strides in from the corridor. He looks around, "Get some rest, Marines. We'll debrief later." So saying, he disappears through the hatch. Sondrix comes through the corridor, hands bloodstained. "Report to medical bay, all those who are wounded," she says, her voice clear if tired. Then she disembarks with a faint sigh. See also * Operation Freedom's Flame - Part I 2a